TRINUCLEAR NIOBIUM OXIDE CLUSTERS - SYNTHESIS OF (ETA-5-C5ME5)3NB3(MU-2-O)3(MU-3-O)(MU-2-CL)CL3 AND [(ETA-5-C5ME5)3NB3(OH)2(MU-2-OH)(MU-3-OH)(MU-2-O)2(MU-3-O)CL]CL

Hydrolysis of eta-5-C5Me5NbCl(4) with excess of water leads to a mixture of products. Pyrolysis of this crude mixture gives (eta-5-C5Me5)3Nb3(mu-2-O)3(mu-3-O)(mu-2-Cl)Cl3 (1) in good yield. On treatment of 1 with water [(eta-5-C5Me5)3Nb3(OH)2(mu-2-OH)(mu-3-OH)-(mu-2-O)2(mu-3-O)Cl]Cl (2) is obtained. The products 1 and 2 were characterized analytically and by X-ray structure determination.